Wheel cover



April 27, 1948. c. A. LYON WHEEL COVER Filed Dec. 9, 1943 FZL2 g" i? i[17 VEUZCIZZ @5026: 1455a? Ara 5y I h JFK 1, 5.

Patented Apr. 217, 1948 FFICE 2,440,638 I WHEEL covER, GeorgeAlbertLyon, Allenhurst, J. Application December 9, 1943, Serial No. 513,546

UNITED STATES PATENT o This invention is directed to an improved wheelstructure and relates more particularly ,to an improved cover assemblytherefor. I

It is an important object of the present invention to provide for acover assemblyadapted for 3- Claims. (01. 301-37) disposition over theouter side. of a wheel structure, an improved retaining arrangement.,

It is another important object of the present invention to provide animproved retaining arrangement for maintaining a cover detachably on theouter side of a wheel structure, said retaining arrangement being.adapted to secure the cover at the radially outer partthereof to aradially'outer part of the wheel. i

- It is another object of the present invention to provide fordisposition over the outer side -of a wheel structure a-cover assemblyincluding a part extending. radially outwardly to conceal all of or amajor portion ofthe radial outer exremity of a wheel structure and alsoincluding retaining means lying-in a plane radially inwardly of theradially outer extremity of the cover, thereby to afford attachment ofthe cover to a radially inner flange of the tire rim. 7

It is still another object of the present invention to provide fordisposition over the outer side of a wheel structure, a cover assemblywhich includes a circular cover member having a radially outer portionconstructed from a synthetic plastic material whereby it possessescharacteristics enabling it to be locally, temporarily, resilientlyflexed and yet whereby it is self-sustaining as to form and willimmediately snap-back into its initial configuration when distortingpressures are relieved therefrom.

It is a still further provide for disposition over the outer side of awheel structure, a cover assembly including a radially outer annularportion formed from synthetic plastic material or the like, there beingalso provided improved retaining means formed from a relatively rigidmaterial suchas sheet stainless steel or the like, said cover memberextending radially outwardly to cover substantially the entire radiallyouter. extremity of the wheel and said retaining member extendingradially inwardly of the outer periphery of the cover and also extendingaxially inwardly for: attachmerit to a flange of the wheel structure.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for dispositionover the outer side of a wheel structure, a cover member formed fromsheet synthetic plastic material or the like, having means at theradially outer part thereof for strengthening and rigidifying thatportion of the object of the invention to outer margin of cover and alsofor detachably maintaining the 7 cover on the Wheel structure.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, there isprovided herein a coveras sembly for disposition over the outer side ofa wheel structure having a flanged tire rim of the drop center type,there being a circular, radially inwardly facing grooveat the junctionofcertain of said flanges of therim, and a central load bearing portion,said cover assembly including an annular'portion constructed fromrelatively flexiblematerial having at the radially outer edge thereof anornamental, retaining annulusformed from a more rigid material such asstainless sheet steel, said retaining annulus including a portionextending over the radially the cover and also extending around the edgethereof to the axially inner side to provide attachment means fordetachableengagement with the groove in the tire rim.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readilyapparent from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side structure including a tion;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the wheelstructure.

' The wheel includes a tire rim ID having a base flange II and a centralload bearing portion l2 cover embodying my inven- The central loadbearing portion i2 is further provided with a central bolt-on flange I 3by means of which the wheel may be secured to an appropri'atepartofthevehicle such as the brake drum or the like, while the tire rim I0 isfurther provided with opposite side wall flanges l4, oppositeintermediate flanges l5 and opposite edge portions I6, between which maybe disposed a tire [1 having. an inner tube [8 provided with a valvestem I9. I

As will be seen fromthe drawings, the tire m H) is so constructed thatthe circular junction between the respective side wall flanges I l andintermediate flanges I5 is curved radially out- 'wardly as at 21,

thus to provide a generally radially inwardly opening groove 28 definedon its outer side by a radially inwardly extending shoulder 29.

The cover of the present invention is of a type which is adapted to beapplied to the outer elevational view of a wheel 7 2,440,688 3 4 side ofthe wheel in substantial concealing relafingers behind the bead 33 andagainst the axially tion to the tire rim l and the tire rim and wheelinner surface of the flange 35 and snap the bead body juncture portionof the wheel. It pref- 38 from out of contact with the shoulder 29 onerably takes the form of an annulus 30 which the wheel. may be formedfrom a suitable relatively flexibly 5 What I claim isE resilientmaterial such as sheet synthetic plas- 1. In a cover structure for awheel including tic, although I do not desire to limit myself tomulti-flanged tire rim and body parts, one of the the use of thisparticular material. axial flanges of said rim part being provided withAs shown,- the'..cover= is provided with-1a cross- -7aradiallyroutwardly extendingdepression to prosectional configurationsubstantially simulating 1 wide anannularcover retaining shoulder, acover the side wall of the tire 11 in the tire rim and for the exposedouter flanges of the rim part inextends radially outwardly to a pointbeyond the Xc'luding an annular outer portion of relatively edge portionit of the rim, while the radiallylin flexible material extendingradially and axially ner margin includes a generally radially inward-"inwardly from an outer edge of the rim part over 1y, axially outwardlycurved portioni3rl'awh-i'chsexi ;I'langes;thereof.to the body part, andan annular tends radially inwardly beyondthe junctionof;the retainingportion connected to an outer edge of tire rim l0 and the central "loadbearing 'jportion said outer portion and substantially concealed l2 andbears against the adjacent portionlatethe h r ye i Concealed p rti n xin ax lly outer surface of the loadbearing portion l2 of the andradially inwardly and terminatin i wheel. vtimiousvrear edge formed witha radially out- The cover is complete'dby ithe provisionbfia rdyiproiectme b d. r n detachable retainin portion substantially concealedbehind a e e h-'s d thof said p utheamiulus .311 -andwinzone preferredform-com- Zions b n convflxiainli a y rearwardly rising a relativelrigid annulus 32 rormedrrom inside .ioffthe outer fianges of elim p Saidrelatively'rigid material such as sheet metal or r e ns'fcircumferential Series Of the -like--andpreferablylfromestainlessisteel sheet ly iy extending p o enhance the=.t.o ,provide a high-luster and .thusaugmentingithe resilient "sprining action thereof, ornamental appearance of the cover ,generally."In13'lcwefstmctureffora Wheel including The "annulus 32 includes aperipheral bead r33 m i a' dfi Tim and body Parts, one of the which-isf-ormed togenvelop -theradially, outer edge 30 ial flan esei 'said rimpar n provided With -34of'the plastic eoverrmember, this rbeadlmerginWmd'mny Wtwarfily'extendmg'idepression to qintowa, generally n inwardlyextending 'videan annularicover=retaining'shoulder,'a-cover flange :35whichdn turn, through acurvate porr' he xposed'outer flanges or the rimpart intion as ,merge a generau y a xianyinwardly eluding an annularOuter portion relatively extendingisnap-on lflange a'l having (apgrlphepa l 35 flexible material "extending radially and axiallyradially \outward-ly projecting snap-on bead -.3B. inwardly Outer edgeof the Tim Part Over Theaxially ;inner-\,parlt of .the :cover member 432.is flanges d e d p a an annular Preferably provided with a, series-ofc-circumferet ng-p rti n 'connected' 'to -an outer edge of entiallyspaced-splits 130a .therebyierihancingvthe "591d jf f 3301131011 aSubstantially concealed resilient springing-action oft-the beaded 40 hreby, said eoncealed'portione t nd 'a :It iwillbe noted that the curvedportion 36 of raid-13115 l Space themetaining annulus T32 .isprovidedwithsuchia m balancing'iweights'efierded by the cross-sectionalconfiguration that the cover as- "lminal flange h ft time terminatingsembly encompasses the tire rim by zasrelativelycontinuousreariedgeiormed Mina-radially broad sweepsso thatithereisprovidediaspaceior "ButWaTdly "-r i t e "bead for snap-on =detacha wheelbalancing weight 39 therebehind, this @519 engagement h" "shoulder, saidweight being suitably attached (to t edgespop (leaded portion i-bitigmade 6f metal and being fion 5 f theftinemmgm fitume'd ever the outer=e'dge of the outer flexible Preferably thelcoverimember 30,:is lfirstfor-med "130mm i real edge bead imtheLdesired-size and configuration,whereupon a n imumferenfi'ifl Sefies "generally thepannu'lus '2isdisposed against t lrearlside ira'dia'lly extending splits toenhancethe resilient thereof with theradiallyouter sedge lof the-an- Spfingingwtionjthereof- .nllillus extendingover the cover 1311, whereuponithe vGEORGE ALBERT LYON- e ge of the annulus may be rolled over baisui-tablebeading operation into :the positior itshown '55 REFERENCESCITED inE1gure-2. I V The ifollowing references are of record in the In..iorm1ng the retaining :annulus 3.2, the file oft'hispatent: I bead 38is soiormed that the outer peripheral extremity thereof prescribes acircle slightly UNITED STATES PATENTS :greater than that ,prescribed by.thezshoulderl29 Number Name Date onthe wheeL-whereby, whenithe.cover,.assemb1y Ref-22,042 Lyon Mar. 3, 1942 11s.movedaxially-inwardly,onthe wheehtthebead 11234138 Pugh July 24, 1917-3.8 together with the ,flange 31 .is slightly .oom- "2,102,471 "LyonDec. .14, 1937 pressed radially inwardly and thus springs slight- 25113541 'Blank Apr. '5, 1938 .lyradially outwardly when lit passes-theshoulder e5 2174;08'7 "Horn "Sept. 26, 1939 .to attain the desiredretaining engagement '-2f239}366 7 Lyon Apr. 22, 1941 between the coverand .the wheel. 2 3 3 Lyo p 14, 1

LWhen it isrdesired -.to ,remove the cover gfrom 2,329,945 schatzmanSept. 21, 1943 Lthe wheel structure, the operatormayinsert'his i

